COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, to 8 years (96 months) in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.

According to public court documents, Marshon Lamarr Johanson, 30, shot his dog after it reportedly bit him. In August 2024, Council Bluffs Animal Control went to Johanson’s house to check on the welfare of the dog. Johanson was uncooperative. The Council Bluffs Police Department returned a few days later with a search warrant. The dog was found dead in the basement. A Ruger handgun and loaded magazine were found in the bedroom of the residence. Johanson was convicted of animal torture in the Iowa District Court for Pottawattamie County and sentenced to a 75-day suspended prison term.

In 2015, Johanson was convicted of burglary and aggravated robbery in Texas, and, in 2022, Johanson was convicted of two felony assault charges in the Nebraska District Court for Douglas County. As a result, Johanson is prohibited from possessing firearms.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Johanson will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by Council Bluffs Animal Control, the Council Bluffs Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.